TOMMY Berry and Art Cadeau will head to Nowra for Sunday's South East Association Country Championships Qualifier full of confidence.
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The duo has secured two first and two second-place finishes from their only four starts together - including a commanding win at Randwick's TAB Highway 1100 metre handicap on January 23.
"To be honest, our combination doesn't have anything to do with me, rather how easy a horse Art Cadeau is," Berry said.
"I've liked him since the first day I sat on him on Kembla Grange - I have trust in his ability and he's gone from strength to strength in each race we've had together.
"You can see Terry [Robinson] has spent plenty of time with him, furnishing him into the horse we always thought he could become."
As an added bonus, Berry, who won the 2016 country champs final with Clearly Innocent, will have the luxury of calling on Shoalhaven Heads trainer Robinson for tips - who will have two horses (Art Cadeau and Lady Demi) racing in the 1400 metre country champs qualifier.
"Art Cadeau has the right mould of a horse that can go all the way and win this event, as he continues to step up the grades," Berry said.
"His last win [at Randwick] was probably his most impressive.
"Carrying 61kg, over an unsuitable distance didn't faze him.
"With no real standout in the country champs this year, Art Cadeau fits the profile and if he can get to the 1400 metre final, it suits him even more."
Berry and Art Cadeau will start from barrier two on Sunday, on what is expected to be a wet track, with rain forecast for Saturday.
"Barrier two isn't ideal but with his natural speed, I can't imagine him settling outside the top five or six horses early - I expect his class will prevail in the end," Berry said.
"The potential rain doesn't affect us either, he has good form on the wet track.
"He's one of those horses who's solid on any surface - if anything the rain takes others out of play and helps us."
Art Cadeau will be one of the three times during Sunday's eight-race program that the Regal Lodge trainer and Berry will team up at the Shoalhaven City Turf Club.
Berry will also ride Miss Keira in the 1600 metre maiden plate and Dandazel in the 1400 metre class two plate.
"Since I was young kid, Terry has always supported me," Berry, 30, said.
"I did plenty of riding down south as an apprentice and he was always one to give you a go - I had plenty of bad races when I was younger, but he believed in me and we've developed a really tight connection over the years.
"He's not one of those trainers who gives you too many instructions, rather telling you about the horse and leaving the riding up to you.
"His horses are always well presented and well mannered and I'm excited to have a couple of rides for him on Sunday."
Berry's final two rides of the day will be with former Nowra trainers Robert and Luke Price's Salome (1200 metre benchmark 58 handicap) and Amanda Turner's Nostro Re (1000 metre benchmark 66 handicap).
"I'm not on of those jockeys who will just go down and race in the main event, so I've been lucky enough to secure a number of rides," Berry, who admits he loves stopping in at the Berry Bakery on the way down south, said.
"I always enjoy racing at Nowra, as it was one of my favourite tracks growing up.
"They always put on a first-class event and I'm really looking forward to getting down there and hopefully riding a couple of winners."
Berry will head south to the Archer Racecourse after a busy schedule at Randwick on Saturday - which will go a long way to keeping him in first place in the NSWs Metropolitan Jockey Premiership.
He currently sits three wins in front of his nearest rival James McDonald.
"James probably has the stronger book of rides across both Friday and Saturday," Berry said.
"Both Masked Crusader and Funstar (in the Apollo Stakes) are solid rides and I'm determined to make them count.
"I've got a one-week suspension looming (starting on Monday for his carless riding at Warwick Farm while riding La Grisa to victory) but I'm not too worried about that, as there is still a long way to go in the premiership.
"All I know is I'm fit and ready to go for my busy schedule this weekend."
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